Written questions by Snell.

What assessment he has made of the cumulative impact of network charges on industrial energy users.

Network charges are set by the independent energy regulator, Ofgem. As part of setting price controls under its RIIO‑3 Final Determinations, Ofgem carried out an impact assessment considering the overall effect of its decisions on consumers, including industrial users. Details of Ofgem's impact assessment can be found through the following link: RIIO-3 Final Determinations – Impact Assessment

Whether he plans to reopen the Energy Bills Discount Scheme for energy and trade intensive industries.

Just as we are looking across Government at the situation that households face, the Government is absolutely focused on the impact of the crisis on business and industry, and we will not hesitate to act. We will continue to monitor the situation and consider what contingency plans need to be put in place. We are reviewing the support provided to business through the Energy Bill Discount scheme that ran until 31 March 2024, including the higher level of support provided to Energy Intensive Industries compared to the universal offer for all businesses.

What support is available to the ceramics manufacturing sector to mitigate the cost of industrial gas.

I recognise the pressure that energy costs place on ceramics manufacturers. A small number of ceramic firms are currently eligible for the British Industry Supercharger, which provides electricity cost relief and these companies are benefiting from the recent uplift to the Network Charging Compensation Scheme. I encourage the ceramics sector to engage with the upcoming review of the Supercharger. There is no equivalent scheme for industrial gas price relief, but my department always keeps industrial energy support under review. My officials, other ministers, and I engage regularly with the ceramics sector, including with Ceramics UK and individual businesses to discuss how the Government can support the sector.

What assessment he has made of the impact of energy costs on the competitiveness of the UK retail sector.

The government keeps the impact of energy costs on the competitiveness of the UK retail sector under review.Through our Clean Power 2030 mission we are taking action to accelerate the transition to clean, homegrown electricity helping to improve energy security and reduce exposure to the volatility of fossil fuel prices across of the UK economy. Alongside this, the government is considering a range of options to address the relative cost of electricity for non‑domestic users and to support the wider take‑up of low‑carbon heat, including through future consultation where appropriate.

What steps he is taking to ensure that energy suppliers pass on price reductions to business customers in a timely manner.

The government recognises that high electricity prices are a significant pressure on businesses and a barrier to investment and growth. The only way to bring electricity bills down sustainably is by reducing the UK’s exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets, which is why business energy affordability is closely linked to the government’s Clean Power mission. My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State wrote to business energy suppliers last month, setting the very clear expectation that small business energy customers must be treated fairly, including by third party intermediaries, who many small businesses rely on to negotiate their energy contracts. This set out the expectation that pricing needs to be fair, transparent and fully justifiable, reflecting genuine market conditions. To ensure we do not see unfair practices continuing, in the upcoming Energy Independence Bill we will be bringing in new regulation of third-party intermediaries, such as energy brokers and price comparison websites, as a further measure to protect small businesses from harmful practices like mis-selling and untransparent pricing.

What recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on extending energy cost support for hospitality businesses.

The Government recognises the pressures that energy costs can place on hospitality businesses. We engage regularly with colleagues across Government, including HM Treasury, on measures to support businesses, including the hospitality sector and we keep the impact of energy prices on businesses under close review.The Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, and the interim CEO of Ofgem, Tim Jarvis, have written to business energy suppliers setting clear expectations that customers, particularly small businesses, must be treated fairly. The letter makes clear that any unfair practices will not be tolerated, and that suppliers should take a fair and supportive approach, offering maximum flexibility and transparency for small businesses.The Government also plans to legislate on Third Party Intermediaries, including energy brokers, through the forthcoming Energy Independence Bill to strengthen protections for SMEs.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of energy costs on the retention of manufacturing jobs in the West Midlands.

The Government recognises that energy costs are an important factor in the competitiveness of manufacturing businesses and in the retention of skilled jobs, including in the West Midlands. From April 2027, the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will reduce electricity costs for eligible manufacturing businesses in Industrial Strategy growth sectors and their foundational supply chains. In addition, the British Industry Supercharger is already reducing electricity costs for eligible energy- intensive industries in the West Midlands, including in sectors such as brick production, glass production, plastic manufacturing and paper manufacturing. The Government continues to engage closely with businesses to monitor cost pressures, including those arising from the situation in the Middle East.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the British Industry Supercharger scheme.

Since 1 April 2024, eligible Energy-Intensive Industries have benefited from the British Industry Supercharger, which tackles carbon leakage by bringing industrial electricity costs closer in line with those in neighbouring countries. Subsequent evidence commissioned by the Government identified that the electricity price gap between Great Britain and other countries still presented a carbon leakage risk. In the Modern Industrial Strategy, we announced an uplift of the Network Charging Compensation Scheme from 60% to 90% from 1 April 2026 to reduce the gap by an additional £8–10/MWh. The Government will review the Supercharger in 2029 to assess its ongoing effectiveness.

How many businesses have received support under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme since its inception.

Just as we are looking across Government at the situation that households face, the Government is absolutely focused on the impact of the crisis on business and industry, and we will not hesitate to act. We will continue to monitor the situation and consider what contingency plans need to be put in place. We are reviewing the support provided to business through the Energy Bill Discount scheme that ran until 31 March 2024, including the higher level of support provided to Energy Intensive Industries compared to the universal offer for all businesses.

What plans he has to introduce a successor scheme to the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.

Just as we are looking across Government at the situation that households face, the Government is absolutely focused on the impact of the crisis on business and industry, and we will not hesitate to act. We will continue to monitor the situation and consider what contingency plans need to be put in place. We are reviewing the support provided to business through the Energy Bill Discount scheme that ran until 31 March 2024, including the higher level of support provided to Energy Intensive Industries compared to the universal offer for all businesses.

What assessment he has made of the regional distribution of energy cost support for businesses in the West Midlands of England.

The Department for Business and Trade manages two energy cost support schemes, the British Industry Supercharger and the Energy-Intensive Industries Compensation Scheme, to support eligible energy-intensive industries with the indirect costs of emissions levies and electricity policy and network costs. These schemes provide support to around 550 businesses across the whole of Great Britain, including businesses in the West Midlands of England in sectors such as brick production, aluminium casting, glass production, plastic manufacturing and paper manufacturing.

What steps his Department is taking to support the glass manufacturing industry with gas energy prices.

I recognise the pressure that gas prices place on glass manufacturers. While there is no dedicated scheme for industrial gas price relief, my Department keeps support for energy-intensive industries under review. Many glass manufacturers are eligible for our electricity price support schemes like the British Industry Supercharger. My officials regularly engage with British Glass and individual businesses to discuss how the Government can support the sector and ensure any concerns are heard.

What meetings and discussions his Department has had with the ceramics industry regarding energy cost relief.

I recognise the pressure that energy costs place on ceramics manufacturers. A small number of ceramic firms are currently eligible for the British Industry Supercharger, which provides electricity cost relief and these companies are benefiting from the recent uplift to the Network Charging Compensation Scheme. I encourage the ceramics sector to engage with the upcoming review of the Supercharger. There is no equivalent scheme for industrial gas price relief, but my department always keeps industrial energy support under review. My officials, other ministers, and I engage regularly with the ceramics sector, including with Ceramics UK and individual businesses to discuss how the Government can support the sector.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Just as we are looking across Government at the situation that households face, the Government is absolutely focused on the impact of the crisis on business and industry, and we will not hesitate to act. We will continue to monitor the situation and consider what contingency plans need to be put in place. We are reviewing the support provided to business through the Energy Bill Discount scheme that ran until 31 March 2024, including the higher level of support provided to Energy Intensive Industries compared to the universal offer for all businesses.

What assessment he has made of the impact of standing charges on the total energy costs of small businesses.

The Government recognises that standing charges can be a significant concern for some businesses. Ofgem is conducting a holistic review of how energy system costs, including network costs, should be paid for in the future, as part of its Cost Allocation and Recovery Review (CARR). The most recent update as to progress with this review can be found here: Energy system cost allocation and recovery review - Ofgem - Citizen Space. Alongside this, Ofgem’s work on the non-domestic market has highlighted the need to improve pricing transparency, and the Government has acted to strengthen protections for business consumers—such as measures to improve how businesses are supported in the market, including through action on third‑party intermediaries—so businesses can better understand what they are being charged and access better value contracts.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on the energy-related costs of UK exporters.

Charges under the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) for relevant goods entering the EU Single Market have applied since January 2026. UK businesses may face costs supporting EU importers to comply with the EU CBAM. The obligation to purchase EU CBAM certificates lies with EU importers. Costs on UK exporters are therefore uncertain and dependent on commercial and policy factors.We are engaging with the EU on Emission Trading Scheme linking to facilitate a mutual UK-EU CBAM exemption.

What estimate his Department has made of the value of exemptions from green levies provided to energy-intensive industries in 2025-26.

The Department has not published an estimate of the value of “exemptions from green levies” provided to energy‑intensive industries in 2025–26. However, the published impact assessment for the British Industry Supercharger—which includes reliefs from certain renewable policy costs, such as the Renewables Obligation, Contracts for Difference and Feed-in Tariffs—indicates that, when taken together with the other Supercharger measures, eligible energy-intensive industries could receive overall electricity bill reductions of around £65 to £87 per MWh.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Financial Risk Assessments on consumer migration to the unregulated gambling market.

The Government remains committed to supporting the implementation of key measures in the 2023 white paper, including the introduction of Financial Risk Assessments (FRAs). Following the conclusion of its pilot on FRAs, the Gambling Commission has continued to engage with gambling operators. As the independent regulator, the Gambling Commission will decide how to implement FRAs based on the best available evidence. The existence of the online gambling illegal market does not mean that we should avoid appropriate controls on licensed operators. However, as stated in the white paper, we recognise that the threat of movement to the illegal market does exist. This is why we are working to give the Gambling Commission increased powers to support disruption and enforcement activity, and why we have announced £26 million of funding over 3 years to the Commission to enable them to increase their activity. We have also set up an Illegal Gambling Taskforce to test what more can be done to tackle the threats posed by the illegal market. Any assessment of the impact of policies on taxation revenues is a matter for HM Treasury.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Financial Risk Assessments on tax revenues from the regulated betting and gaming sector.

The Government remains committed to supporting the implementation of key measures in the 2023 white paper, including the introduction of Financial Risk Assessments (FRAs). Following the conclusion of its pilot on FRAs, the Gambling Commission has continued to engage with gambling operators. As the independent regulator, the Gambling Commission will decide how to implement FRAs based on the best available evidence. The existence of the online gambling illegal market does not mean that we should avoid appropriate controls on licensed operators. However, as stated in the white paper, we recognise that the threat of movement to the illegal market does exist. This is why we are working to give the Gambling Commission increased powers to support disruption and enforcement activity, and why we have announced £26 million of funding over 3 years to the Commission to enable them to increase their activity. We have also set up an Illegal Gambling Taskforce to test what more can be done to tackle the threats posed by the illegal market. Any assessment of the impact of policies on taxation revenues is a matter for HM Treasury.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the price of wholesale gas on the viability of energy intensive industries.

This Government is aware of the impact of gas costs on energy-intensive industries and that current energy support schemes only subsidise the cost of electricity for eligible electricity-intensive businesses. My officials regularly engage with trade associations and industry groups, including the Energy Intensive Users Group, to ensure that their concerns are heard and inform potential policy support for gas costs in future.